Happy Accidents 2 - An Amourshipping Sequel (Part 7)
by MetekinGiant
Summary: Ash and Serena are back in this Amourshipping sequel! In this Chapter, Ash and Serena have flown in to Lumiose City in preparation of the Lumiose City Pokémon Showcase, where a few familiar faces will be competing. But as Ash settles in for the competition, something keeps bothering him. Will he be able to focus on the important event? Enjoy ;) Reviews Appreciated!


**In Ash's POV**

I groaned as we waited for the empty carousel to reveal our luggage. It was around three o'clock in the morning and all I wanted was to do was collapse to the ground. The only thing keeping me awake was Serena's cute, but loud yawning. I gave her a dry smile and allowed her to lean on my shoulder, watching her fall asleep within seconds as she wrapped her smooth hand around mine. I gave in and dropped my head down onto hers, teasing myself with a minute of wondrous slumber.

Jessica took no displeasure in waking me up, shoving a heavy bag full of clothes _she'd _picked out for us into my open arm. My eyes shot open as I stumbled, due to the sudden weight increase. Jessica was staring at her phone intently, giggling like a schoolgirl.  
"What's so funny?" I sighed, barely having enough strength to talk. She gave me the phone, which was showing a photo of me and Serena standing in the middle of a deserted airport, sleeping on each other. We obviously appear to be exhausted, and above it is a cation that says, _"Even Kalos Royalty needs to sleep sometimes! #KalosRoyalty #Sleepyheads #CuteCouple #LumioseShowcase_".  
"I posted it a few seconds ago," Jessica explained. I squinted as my eyes began to readjust to the bright light emitting from Jessica's phone. I looked over the photo again and discovered a small blip on the screen.  
"What's that?" I asked, pointing the blip out. Jessica peered over the top of the phone and smiled.  
"That's the _like _button. It says how many people like your photo."

I rolled my eyes, irritated by Jessica's dumb act.

"I know what _that _is, Jess. But what's that weird moving number next to it?"  
Jessica looked again, noticing the number this time. She gasped, a wide grin appearing on her face.  
"That's…that's how many people like your photo."

"It's not stopping," I noted.  
"I know."  
"You posted that about thirty seconds ago, Jess."  
"I know."  
"It's…still going, Jess."  
"I know."

"Is that normal?"  
"No."

"What's going on?" Serena whispered. She stretched out and gestured for a hug. I wrapped my hands around her waist and sniffed her strawberry-scented hair, kissing her forehead delicately.

"Not much. Jess just made a photo of us sleeping together go viral," I explained. Serena pushed me away, revealing the horrified expression she had plastered onto her face.  
"What?!" she screamed. I plugged my ears a second too late, unable to avoid Serena's outburst.

Jessica slapped the back of my head dramatically, rushing to aid a disgruntled Serena. "He didn't mean it like that, Serena! Don't worry; I haven't got a photo of you two doing _that_…" Jess attempted.

"Because we haven't done _that_!" Serena exclaimed.

Jessica raised her hands above her head, shrugging innocently.

"…Haven't done that _yet_…" I pointed out.

Serena gave me a death stare, something that would've scared me a few months ago. But now, all it did was make me chuckle as I embraced Serena again. I enjoyed a chilling breeze that emerged from an open door that revealed the tranquillity of early morning Lumiose City as Jessica grabbed our final bags from the carousel.

Serena gave me one last cute pout before hugging my waist and burying her head into my _Champion Approved _hooded jacket.

I took one of our bags from Jessica and stumbled outside into the awaiting drone of the bright lights that occupied Lumiose City. It had an odd serenity to it. A tantalising glow of street lamps and neon signs combined with the gentle whisper of a pure, unadulterated gust seemed so peaceful that it could calm a storm formed by the wrath of the heavens. I took a fond second to memorise this breathtaking scene before entering a large taxi next to Serena, who was barely able to keep her eyes open.

"We'll be at the hotel soon, Serena. You can sleep then," I comforted.  
Serena yawned, "Don't we have to be up again in, like, four hours?"  
I sat in silence, not realising the restrictions of our limited schedule. Serena snickered and took my hand. "It's alright, though. It'll be a _blissful_ four hours sleeping next to you, Ash…"  
I rolled my eyes and groaned, "Wow! Even _I _know that was cheesy, Serena. Seriously?" She just shrugged in response. I closed my eyes, resting in content.

I flung myself down onto a cold, leathery couch inside our dressing room. The muffled screams and cheers of the crowd above us had dampened, allowing me a moment of relaxation. How Jessica had managed to sneak us into the stadium entrance without being spotted, I'd never figure out.

I amused myself by watching Serena struggle with her hair. She'd made it perfectly clear that _she _would be the one to do her hair, and not one of the many stylists she had at her disposal. I trudged over to her and sat my head on her shoulder, admiring her through the mirror.

"Hair won't stay still?" I asked, feeling a twinge of familiarity as I did so.

"You know," Serena replied, turning to face me, "Sometimes I miss my old haircut…"

I tutted, "You don't mean that."  
"No, I don't," Serena admitted. "I _love _my long hair."

"I love your long hair, too…" I added, gently kissing her forehead. I waited for Serena to close her eyes before stealthily grabbing a red ribbon Serena had laid out in front of her, a sly trick I'd picked up a couple of months ago. I pulled her hair back and began to tie it the way she taught me to. I added a little bow onto the end of it and watched Serena laugh as she looked over my craftsmanship.

"What's wrong with it?" I asked, slightly ashamed.

Serena shook her head and removed the bow, untying all of my hard work in seconds. "I want to try something new," Serena explained. She chucked the ribbon to the side and rested her arms on my shoulders, smoothing out the creases I'd deliberately made in my vest; another trick I'd learned.

"So, what do you want to try?" I lingered, raising my eyebrow and putting on a seductive tone.

"Not like _that_! I mean, like, wear my hair out or something."  
I ran a hand through Serena's luscious, silky hair, taking a second to think. I could see a bright sparkle in her eyes, an excited sparkle. I loved to see her like this, when she was truly happy.

I decided to go and check up on our Pokémon. It had been a few hours since I'd seen Pikachu and the rest of the gang and I wanted to make sure they were enjoying themselves. After all, my holiday was nearly over and I'd have to go back to the Kalos League soon. I could only imagine how many people had lined up by now to challenge me for my title by now.

"I'm gonna go check on the others," I told Serena.

She spun around and grabbed me quickly, pouting sarcastically.

"Ash, don't leave me!" Serena whined with a grin.  
_Ash, don't leave me…leave me…leave me…_ The sentence sent a shiver down my spine as I blinked furiously, trying to erase the short-cut jeans and pink shirt that had just appeared on a strange, brown-haired Serena. I shook my head and stared at Serena, hoping that she'd returned to normal, but she hadn't. I stared blankly at Serena, unable to speak. I was beginning to hyperventilate, my hands were shaking and I couldn't focus properly.  
I sprinted out of the dressing room, leaving a puzzled Serena standing alone, and collapsed to the ground outside. A nearby stage assistant rushed to aid me, but I waved him off.

"It's alright. I'm…I'm okay…" I lied.

He nodded and turned back to his group of assistants. I got up and briskly walked to the bathroom. I entered a cubicle and sat down, desperately trying to calm myself.

"How is this still happening?" I asked myself aloud.

I thought I'd finally gotten rid of that memory of Shauna, but it still haunted me. I'd been to three therapists in secret to try and rid my conscience of her, and nothing had worked.

I tried to control my breathing and concentrate my thoughts.

_What did Dr Andrew say to do? _I pondered. I gasped as I remembered the therapeutic calming technique he had taught me.

_"__Think of a calm, quiet place where you would want to be,"_ he had once said.  
I closed my eyes and imagined that I was back at that beach in Courmarine City. Back in Serena's arms as we watched a majestic, waterborne sunset.

I sighed, returning from that wonderful vision back to the real world. My shaking had subsided and I was breathing at a normal rate again. I exited the cubicle and washed my face in the basin.

I stared at my dripping wet face in the mirror and sniffled, "Why do I still think of her?"

Shauna's face appeared in the mirror, replacing mine. She looked at me with the same distraught look she gave me when we parted ways, making me quiver.

_"__You know why, Ash…"_ Shauna whispered. I wiped my eyes with cold hands, clearing Shauna's face from the mirror and repairing mine. I peered over my shoulder in case anyone was watching and sighed.  
"I must be going crazy…" I muttered to myself. I dried my face and left the bathroom. I forgot all about seeing Pikachu and the others, because I just wanted to see Serena again. She would fix all this. She always did, even without knowing it.

I stumbled back to our dressing room and was about to knock on the door, but I paused. I put a fake smile on and knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" an angelic voice asked.

I replied, "It's me, Serena. Could you open up, please?"  
I heard a loud _clink _as the lock opened, revealing a concerned expression on the face of Serena.

"Are you okay? You looked pretty shell-shocked when you left, and you didn't say a word."  
I sighed, "Yeah. I'm…I'm okay. Just a little…stressed, that's all."

Serena moved quickly, embracing me as fast as possible. I returned the hug and rested my head on hers. I could already feel my bad vibes dispersing away.

"Thanks, Serena. You have no idea how much I need you," I said, speaking with true honesty.

"Same goes for me, Ash. I need you, too. So much…" Serena whispered.  
"Come on, let's get going. I heard a stage assistant say that we're going on in a few minutes."

Serena nodded, giving me one last concerned look. "Are you sure you're alright?"  
I smiled, genuinely happy that Serena wouldn't drop it. It was selfish of me to want that, but I knew she truly cared. Maybe that's why she always felt a little…different, in comparison to the other girls I'd travelled with. She was gentler than Misty, sweeter than May, more comforting than Dawn and generally just _better _than Iris.

"I'm sure," I answered, kissing Serena lightly on the forehead.

Something inside me had triggered my confidence to return after seeing Serena again. I quickly reached for the doorknob, holding the door open for Serena, just like Mum had told me to. Serena giggled at something and waited for me outside our dressing room. I shut the door and wrapped my arm around Serena's shoulder, holding her close. Together we made our way to the stage entrance, stopping occasionally to talk to some of the staff about the event. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a man running towards me with a huge grin on his face and two security guards after him.

"Mr Ketchum!" he yelled. I turned to face him, just as the guards caught him. As he struggled, I managed to identify his familiar face.

"Antonio!"  
The man's face lit up. I approached the guards and told them Antonio was a friend of mine. They nodded and handed him a _VIP Pass__._ Antonio slipped the pass over his neck and hugged me, lifting me off the ground with surprising ease.

"Thank you, Mr Ketchum, sir!" Antonio exclaimed. I chuckled awkwardly as Serena came over next to me.

"I remember you!" Serena smiled. "You served us pancakes at that hotel in Courmarine City, didn't you?"

Antonio nodded enthusiastically, "That's correct! By the way, thanks to you two, business has never been better for me. People heard that you liked our pancakes, and they've been selling faster than I can make them!"  
I looked at Serena, who had an amazed expression on her face. I often forgot how much influence we could have on the public's opinions.  
"But, what do you want Ash for?" Serena questioned. At that moment, _I _remembered why Antonio was here.

I shook my head at Antonio, hoping that he would understand my situation.

Antonio stuttered, "I…I-I came to…to…wish you two luck tonight! You know, with the judging…"

I nodded, mouthing the words "_nice one_".  
Serena beamed, "Oh, thank you! Um, but surely that praise would be better for the actual contestants?"

Antonio recovered, "Well, yes…but I don't know any of the contestants!"  
"Fair enough…" Serena muttered. I could tell from her tone that she knew Antonio was lying. I took the moment of sudden confusion as a signal to get moving.

"We'll see you after the Showcase, Antonio!" I yelled as we continued to the stage entrance. I looked back at Antonio to see him giving me the thumbs up. I breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that Serena's cake had been delivered.

We arrived at the side of the Contest stage, stunned by the amount of people that had crammed themselves into this Stadium. I took Serena's hand, mostly just to feel her warmth. She looked up at me and smirked, "Scared?"

"Out of my mind," I replied with a grin. "You?"  
"Terrified. Utterly terrified. But I'll survive, as long as you don't faint when we walk onstage."  
"I told you, that wasn't what happened! I slipped and hit my head…"

Serena laughed, "Sure."

I gazed at her for a second, captivated. The crowd began to get quieter as I focused on Serena. My eyes caressed her every detail; from her shiny, strawberry-scented hair to her perfect blue eyes to her soft, supple lips. She emitted beauty without even trying.

She gave me a breathtaking smile and winked, "What's up?"  
"I love you."

Serena's smile faltered as she heard the seriousness in my voice. "I know; I love you, too."  
I shook my head, "No, Serena. This isn't just for the cameras, or just because I thought I was supposed to say it. I genuinely mean it. I love you with all my heart, body and soul. I will protect you from anything that tries to tear us apart and watch as you shine in front of the whole world."  
Serena stood in dazed silence. I was praying that I hadn't freaked her out by getting as serious as I did.

"You…I've never seen you get that deep before, Ash. It was kinda weird, coming from you..." Serena noted.

"I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfor…"  
"Don't be sorry."

I locked her gaze into mine, not concerned by anything else.  
"What?"  
"Don't be sorry," Serena repeated. "You didn't make me feel uncomfortable. In fact, I think I'm more trusting of you more now than ever."  
I scoffed, amazed that my confession had gone so well. "Really?"  
Serena sniffed, wiping an emerging tear from her eye. "It took a lot for you to say that. Believe me, I know what it's like to know you like someone and not say anything."

I chuckled, "Back when you found me in Santalune, right?"

Serena smiled to herself, "Shut up."

"Do you?" I asked.

"Do I what?" Serena replied sarcastically.

"Come on, Serena. Do you love me?"  
"With everything I've got, Ash. And I always will."  
I sighed, emotionally exhausted. The crowd roared back to life, destroying our limited sense of privacy immediately. I hugged Serena tightly one last time as a stage assistant called for us to come onstage.

"Let's go," Serena whispered.

We stood at the foot of the curtain, half-blinded by the lights on the stage.

I leaned over to Serena and murmured, "You know how I said I loved you?"  
"Yeah?" Serena muttered back.

"I lied."

With that, I pushed Serena onstage and watched as she turned back to face me. She was as white as a ghost and looked completely distraught. I laughed, walking onstage next to Serena and put an arm around her, leaning into her ear as I did so.

"Totally joking, Serena! I just wanted to get rid of your nerves…" I smirked proudly.

She frowned and punched me, half joking, half serious. "Ash Ketchum, I'd _kill _you if you weren't so damn perfect!"  
I scoffed, "I'm perfect to you?"  
Serena winked, "Nope. But you'll do." I grinned as we turned to face our adoring fans, waving to them and receiving an uproar of approval in return. I felt Serena gently kiss my cheek, which I returned with a kiss to her strawberry-flavoured lips. _Strawberries are a recurring theme with her…_I noted.  
We took a deep breath together and made our way to our Judges' seats. We waited patiently as the first round of contestants made their way onto the stage.

"Here we go," I whispered to Serena. She nodded in return.

I counted the girls as the filed onstage, mentally recalling thirty or so. That would be ten rounds of three per round, and this was just the first group. Who knew how many had entered?  
As I scanned the group, I came across a familiar face. A face that would've sent me into immediate shock if Serena hadn't been right next to me. I tried to calm down, but I was already starting to shake again. I couldn't stop it, _she _was making me.

Standing onstage, about ten metres away from me, was a girl I couldn't get out of my head, for all the wrong reasons.

Shauna had entered the Showcase. And I had to watch her _every_ move.


End file.
